Firstly…I have no words as to how long it's been since I've updated. If you are still with this story after all this time, I commend you. I certainly have plans to finish this series. I just may have to tie myself down to do it. But, now that I'm in Seattle (inspiration!) and don't have the internet to distract me, maybe I can make some progress. I hope.

I do not own Dark Angel nor am I making a profit from this. It is simply for my own amusement. Alec could bring me a coffee though. Hope you enjoy!

Open

"What's up with your boy?"

Max rolled her eyes and slammed the door to her locker shut. "He's not my boy, I haven't the foggiest idea and oh, yeah… I don't care."

Cindy snorted and leaned past Max's shoulders to peer at Alec who was lurking in the Jam Pony entrance glancing down the street and back to his watch repeatedly.

"Well, my Alec radar is telling me he's up to something…boy is acting all kinds of suspicious and if I'm noticing it, I gotta say girl…why haven't you?"

"Since when do you have Alec radar?" Max sneered tilting her face to put Alec in her peripherals. To an average person Alec would just appear to be taking a break, leaning in the doorway and people watching while sipping a beverage. But OC was right. Something was wrong with this picture.

Cindy popped Max upside the back of her head and Max whirled to face her. "Hey!"

"Girl, don't be copping no attitude with OC." She ignored Max's pout. "And for your information, I developed my Alec radar after the dinner party at Joshua's. "

"Oh."

"Nothing like watching baby boo wig out because someone interrupted his piano playing to get you to start noticing atmosphere and moods." Cindy eyed Max reprovingly.

Max rubbed the back of her head and glanced guiltily at OC. "Of course, sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I just had a long night. Alec drama is the last thing I want to deal with today." OC clucked sympathetically.

"Logan?"

Max heaved a sigh and leaned back into her locker. "Yeah. Things have been tense ever since…" Her eyes trailed over to Alec's form in the entryway.

"Since you started metaphorically knocking boots with hot boy?"

"Cindy!" Max hissed and whipped her head around to meet OC's amused dark eyes. Cindy just tossed her head back and let out a peal of laughter that shook her curls.

"Sorry, Boo. I just couldn't resist." OC slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and headed for the entrance. "You might want to consider a proactive stance with your boy though."

Max let her gaze settle back on Alec. OC was probably right. Heading Alec off at the pass was smart. If she did maybe, just maybe then his latest scheme wouldn't blow up in her face. Although, to be fair…their relationship had lost much of its earlier rancor after she told him about Ben. And he'd been avoiding his old troublesome schemes and been focusing on helping her with Joshua and the other transgenics.

Better to be safe though. You never could tell with Alec. Max reached back to her jean pocket and pulled her leather biking gloves onto her hands. Alec was still standing in the entryway, nodding hello to fellow co-workers as they bustled in and out. She narrowed her eyes, trying to put a finger on what was pricking her subconscious.

His happy-go-lucky smile was in place, as it often was at Jam Pony…especially when he'd managed to get out of work. He was wearing his leather jacket over a gray pull over sweater, jeans and motorcycle boots. He was the picture of relaxed nonchalance. Then she caught the twitch of a finger on the side of his cup.

"Gotcha." She murmured and started stalking towards him. Alec didn't drink coffee at work. Ever. He might have some before or after an Eye's Only or TC mission, but it was always black. Never cappuccino and not from a coffee chain. Max figured it was something left over from his Manticore days that he'd never assimilated.

Alec flicked mildly amused eyes down at her when she stomped up to him. "Hey Maxie, what's up?"

"What are you doing?" She asked crossing her arms across her chest and leaning into her right hip, all attitude. His eyebrows climbed his face in response.

"Pretty obvious, don't you think? I'm taking a coffee break on this gloomy Seattle day." His smile was all teeth. He was trying to get rid of her. Max's radar started pinging. No way was Pretty Boy shaking her off that easy.

"Bullshit. You never take actual, real coffee breaks."

"Oh and you know me so well do you?" There was suddenly a dark undercurrent to his voice that Max hadn't expected. What, he was mad at her?

"Just tell me what you're up to now so I can put a stop to whatever idiotic scheme you have brewing and save us both the hassle, okay?"

Alec barked out a laugh, heat suddenly vanishing under his grin. "Nothing going on here Maxie."

"Oh really? Then why are you acting so weird? And don't call me Maxie."

"Hate to break it to you Max, but there's no nefarious plot for you to insert yourself into. If you're bored and looking for an adrenaline fix, give old Logie-bear a call. I'm busy." He glanced down at his watch then at the busy cross street. "Later." Alec pushed off the wall and ambled out the door and down the street.

Max huffed in irritation and rocked back on her heels. This is what she gets for caring enough to interject? Whatever. If Alec wanted to get killed doing some stupid scam while White was running around it was no business of hers.

"Bip, bip, bip!" Normal shouted behind her. "Hey Missy-Miss! I am not paying you to stare at the clouds!" Max turned her head and glared at Normal over her shoulder. "Useless, the pack of you! I should fire you all! Where's Golden Boy? He's—"

Oh, screw this.

"He just went to grab a coffee. I'll get him." Max said flashing a predatory smile. Normal blinked in surprise.

"Right, yes. Alec." Normal pushed his black frames up his nose. "Hey! Wait,-"

Max ignored Normal's sputtering and quickly retraced Alec's earlier path through the crowded sidewalk.

...

Max followed Alec down to the shipping yards, the smell of salt sharp in her nose. She hung back a bit, staying out of sight. He slipped around the corner of a shipping container and she heard the sound of a series of sharp knocks on the metal. Clearly it's some kind of signal. Her brows furrow as she tries to decipher it. It's not Morse code; but it isn't one of the Manticore codes they'd learned while she was there either.

"Looking for someone?" A cold voice hisses in her ear and Max only gets out a small gasp before her arm is twisted behind her and she's shoved out into the open. She pivots to use the momentum to swing around and punch her assailant but he counters, ducking to sweep her legs out from under her. An arm tightens around her throat and she quickly finds herself on her knees in a headlock.

The noise draws Alec and he arches an eyebrow at her. Max glares back. Of course Alec would get them caught. This guy is strong and Max immediately thinks of Familiars. Alec raises his eyes to meet her attacker's.

"You can relax, she's with me."

The man snorts but releases Max, allowing her to catch herself on her hands.

"You do know she's a '09'er right?"

Alec huffs a soft laugh. "That's Max."

"This is Max?" He sounds both awed and disappointed.

Max spins to her feet putting her back towards the shipping container so she can watch both of them. Her attacker is as tall as Alec, with short dark hair and dark eyes. She shook out her shoulder and glared at him. "What's your problem asshole!?"

The stranger cocked his head at her and drags his words out slowly, like she was stupid. "Watching my boy's back. I see a traitor transgenic tailing him to secret meeting and I'm thinking trouble." He glanced over at Alec again disappointment on his face. "Tell me you knew she was there. She was breathing loud enough for a regular to hear."

Alec leaned forward and caught Max around her waist as she lunged for the transgenic. She was definitely gonna call this one Dick.

"Course I knew she was there, I'm not an idiot." Alec ignores Max's disbelieving snort. "She was one of the things about Seattle I was gonna explain, but well…" He gestures toward her. "She kind of explains herself. Figured it wouldn't hurt anything. Didn't expect you to go gunning for her though." Alec shrugs again and Max can feel him against her back.

Max shoves out of his arms and turns around to push his shoulder. "Why can't you ever just tell me what you're up to? You're so annoying!"

Alec smirked at her. "Because it's so much fun to watch you lose your shit. Ow!" He rubbed his arm where she'd slugged him. He glances back over to the transgenic who's watching them with careful eyes. "What're you calling yourself these days?"

"Biggs." He smirks when Alec rolls his eyes. "How about you 494?"

"Alec."

"Dick." Max voices over him.

"Now Maxie, he's not asking what your—"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence or I'll knock you into next week!"

Biggs's eyes bounce between them, trying to get a read on the situation. The 0'9er, Max, looked like she was about to go nuclear. And 494, with his gleaming eyes and sardonic twist to his mouth just so happened to resemble a Bond villain.

"—favorite part of—"

Biggs rolls his eyes as Max launches at 494, fists flying. He blocks her half-heartedly seeming more interested in watching her while she pummels him. "Hey! Ow! Geez, Max not the face!"

When she lands a solid punch to his stomach bending him in half she stops and shakes her hair back from her face. "Pig. And don't call me Maxie." Line delivered she turns and stomps past Biggs, ignoring 494's theatrical groaning.

Biggs wanders over to him and when he straightens up Biggs shoves him back over.

"Hey!"

"So…Alec? Dick? Whoever, you wanna explain what just happened back there?"

"It's Alec actually." He smiles cheerfully. "And now that Maxie there has satisfied her curiosity and I got rid of her, we can continue on as normal."

"No, I got that. What I'm wondering about is why you're with her at all. We'll just gloss over the part where you failed to mention the almighty Max you were running with was a girl-" He waves away Alec's protest. "No, what I am really interested in is the fact that you left out that not only is she an 09'er but perhaps the most notorious one of them all."

Alec shrugs, running a hand through his dark blonde hair.

"Max saved my life a couple of times. Helped me get a sweet gig, stay under the radar. She's not so bad, I mean if you ignore the self-righteousness, moodiness and her tendency to only wear black." He pauses and frowns thoughtfully. "Actually, about 90% of her personality."

"So you let her treat you like a punk bitch?" Biggs shook his head. "That's not the 494 I know."

"I'm nobody's bitch." He growls and lowers his head. There. That's the guy Biggs knows. "And it's Alec now." His mood brightens again suddenly. "You got that shipment of guns I was asking about?"

Biggs sighs and nods to the left. They start walking and he glances over at him with dark eyes. "So, what do you need the guns for anyway? And what's this sweet gig the almighty Max got you?"

"Terminal City. I got to introduce you to the guys. You'll love them." Alec smiles happily. "Some of the nomiles are set up there but we've got White and his cult wackos to deal with so…I thought we should get a little firepower. And Max doesn't do guns, so…"

"Doesn't do guns?" Biggs stops and stares at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Wish I was. But she hates 'um. Don't ask me why."

"No guns? A cult? Noms? Here I was thinking I had the exciting life running guns from Canada in the months since Manticore blew."

"You have no idea." Alec slings an arm around his shoulder and pulls him in conspiratorially. "I'm gonna show you a great time."

...

Alec is true to his word for the most part. He and Biggs do have an interesting time over the next month, even if he wants to bitch about riding bikes all over the city.

"I did less work at Manticore." Biggs growls.

"Ain't that the truth. Maybe that's why I got to solo ops first." Alec's grin is wide and unchecked.

"Solo ops?" Max's voice coldly interrupts. "Why am I not surprised." Alec's face goes blank for a moment before he slips on a jovial mask and spins toward her.

"Maaaax. A ray of sunshine, just like always."

"As opposed to being a perpetually smiling jackass? I'll take it." She settles her weight back into her hip. It's her classic fighting stance and suddenly, Alec is just over it. Over fighting with Max.

"You know what Max? Whatever." And he steps around her and heads to the dispatch desk. Maybe he'll run Biggs's idea past Normal after all. He's tired of doing things the old way.

Max sneers at his retreating back and is about to leave herself when Biggs's hand descends on her arm.

"Why do you do that?"

She jerks her arm out of his grip, annoyed. "Do what? I didn't do anything."

"Cut him down. Act like he's the scum of the earth and you can't be bothered to scrape him off your shoe."

"Listen, Biggs, you don't know nothin' about me and Alec. And all the ways he's screwed up my life so why don't you just shut it okay? Nobody asked you." Max hissed suddenly angry.

"Oh you mean your little virus thing with the love of your life or whatever?" Max jerks her head back in surprise. "Yeah, I know all about it. About how you were naive enough to think Manticore wouldn't have had a failsafe in place for you. Cause you see, I know all about Alec. And I know about all the ways you screwed up his life and I don't see him rubbing it in your face every chance he gets." Biggs leans in close, their furious brown eyes meeting.

"Screwed up his life? His life?" Max is so astonished she can hardly keep her voice down. "I am always saving that screw up from one thing or another so I think—"

"No, you don't think. And that's really your problem isn't it?" Biggs pulls back and crosses his arms across his chest. "You and your little unit didn't give a thought to any of the rest of us when you ran, what might've happened to those who didn't escape, did you?"

Max's anger drops a notch and a look of guilt flashes across her face. "Look, we didn't know—"

"Yeah, you didn't know. You didn't know what would happen to us and you didn't really care because we weren't in your precious unit. Never mind that we ALL went through hell afterwards. Tortured, psy-ops taking us apart and putting us back together to make sure we wouldn't run either. And if there was even a question, a whisper, a thought that we might? Terminated. Dead."

Biggs ran his hands through his hair. He had to calm down, people were glancing their way but he had to make Max understand.

"And that was nothin', nowhere close to what the twin unit went through. They were separated from each other permanently, those that managed to survive. Manticore made sure they knew if we weren't loyal to them, we were as good as dead."

Max pulled her arms in close to her chest defensively, fighting the urge to run. As awful as it was to hear, she had wanted to know, needed to know what had happened to the others. She owed them that. Alec and Sam had only ever hinted at it.

"And when 493 went psycho and started pulling teeth?" He ignored Max's involuntary gasp. "Well. I gave up that I would ever see him again. Thought they took him away to kill 'um. My CO. My brother. Not because of anything he did or didn't do. Dead because of one of you." Biggs stepped in closer to her, hissing. "But you know what? He survived. Got sent up to solo ops. I was proud of him for making it through."

Max couldn't take it anymore; she lashed out, shoving Biggs out of her personal space.

"Okay, I get it!"

"Do you, Max? Do you really? Get it? Get the fact that Alec survived psy-ops three times?" He reached between them to grab her wrist and pull her in close again. "Because no one else has ever done it. Nobody's survived it more than once."

"What in the hell is going on?" Alec snarled, grabbing Biggs's arm and pulling it away from Max. Biggs let him and just kept staring at Max.

"It's fine." Max was surprised to find herself saying. Biggs raised an eyebrow at that and Alec remained tensed, ready to separate them again. "It's alright Alec. Biggs and I were just…catching up." She pulled her gaze to look at Alec's strained face. Confusion, anger and guilt warred in her gut at the sight. "Gotta blaze."

Once Max had booked it out the door Alec turned back to Biggs. "Man, what did you do?" He said weary and annoyed.

"Nothing. Just told the girl some hard truth she didn't wanna hear."

Alec scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed. "About what? No, never mind, I don't wanna know. Christ, Biggs. Now she's gonna be all guilt ridden and angsty for at least a week."

Biggs laughed causing the tension to pop. "Sorry buddy but I just couldn't help myself. Something about her attitude sometimes just makes me want to tie her up and make her see sense."

"Ha! Good luck with that."

...

Max was brooding over a beer when OC walked into Crash.

"Girl, why are you all gloomy? It's Friday night and the honeys are look'n fly." OC's eyes went hooded as she scanned the crowd.

"Cindy, am I a bitch?"

OC's head whipped around to her with a glare. "Who's been calling my boo a bitch? I'll knock a sista out."

Max thunked her head down to her arms and sighed. "Nobody."

OC sat on the stool next her with a huff. "Then why are you wondering if you're a bitch?"

Max's head lolled on her arms to stare at her friend with mournful eyes. "Biggs and I were talking about Alec today."

"Ah." Cindy reached for the pitcher to pour herself a beer. "He find out you made Alec your secret boy toy?"

"No, we started talking about the bad old days at Manticore."

"Talking? Girl, I heard you's were straight up arguing and hot boy had to intervene." OC sipped her beer as Max's head snapped up.

"That's not what happened! Who said that?" Max followed OC's nod to the corner. "Sketchy? He doesn't know anything." Max sulked.

"No? Then why don't you tell me why you're pouting in the corner when we could join the idiot circus and mooch off their beer?" Cindy tilted her head at Alec and Biggs laughing and watching Sketchy lose at pool.

"Why would I want to go over there? They hate me and I hate them." Max's mood turned darker and settled over her features. Cindy tsked.

"Since when does Pretty Boy hate you boo?"

"Since always, apparently. According to Biggs he's got every reason to." Her lips turned down into a scowl she leveled at the dark haired transgenic across the bar.

"Did Biggs actually say Alec hated you?"

"Well, no. But he didn't have to!" Max turned back to OC her brown eyes dripping with remorse. "I know I haven't told you a lot about…" She waved her hand. "But when me and my family left…things got worse for everyone else." Cindy could practically feel the guilt rolling off of Max in waves. "And because Alec was in the twinned unit, things were really bad."

"Max," Cindy tilted her head. "Do YOU think Alec hates you for that?"

Max opened and closed her mouth, frustration etching lines between her eyebrows.

"Well, before today I would've said no; but that was before I knew about all of it and…he should hate me Cindy. I don't see how he can't."

OC reached across the table and put her hand on top of Max's and squeezed in sympathy.

"Girl, I am only gonna say this once so listen up. You are not to blame for what that whacked up place did."

"But—"

"No. Ya'll was only kids. Maybe Alec's angry about it, maybe he ain't. Only one way to know. Go over there and ask your boy."

Max reared back in her seat.

"I can't ask him that!"

"Well it's the only way to find out. And since you seem so worried about it…"

"I'm not worried!" Max's spine straightened. "And I don't care what Alec thinks about me!"

"No? Then why are you over here brooding? If you really don't care it wouldn't affect your night, would it?" OC's eyes glinted in triumph. Max glared at her best friend's smug smile as she took another sip of beer. Sometimes having friends sucked. Especially if they wouldn't let you keep your delusions. She opened her mouth to argue back when she caught a glint of light reflecting off of a pair of glasses. She paled. Shit. She pointed a finger at OC.

"I am not going over there because I care what Alec thinks. We are going over there because Logan just walked in and I cannot deal with that drama on top of this." She grabbed her glass and the pitcher, slid down from her stool and started weaving through the crowd over to the pool tables.

When she reached Alec's table she held the pitcher up like a peace offering.

"Beer? OC bought it for everyone." She lied smoothly. Alec arched an eyebrow as he chalked up a pool cue.

"Oh yeah? Where is she?" Biggs glanced behind her with a little frown.

Max gritted her teeth. "Bathroom. She'll join us in a minute."

"Oh really. Bathroom huh?" Alec looked at her with amused eyes. "You don't say."

"Yep." She said, annoyance making her pop the 'p'. She pushed past Alec and plopped into his empty seat. The change in view afforded her a look at what had Alec so amused. OC was on the dance floor, sliding her hands slowly up the sides of her dance partner, looking like she was pretty comfortable and not about to go anywhere anytime soon.

Damnit.

"If you just wanted my company Maxie, all you had to do was say so. I am a friend to the friendless, always."

Biggs rolled his eyes. "Where do you come up with this stuff? Do you even hear yourself half the time?"

"Thank you!" Max exclaimed turning to Biggs ready to high-five him when she suddenly remembered who he was. She let her hand drift down slowly at his slightly incredulous look.

"Awkward." Alec sing-songed to them. Max glared.

"Hey Alec!" Sketchy called from the pool table. "You're up!"

"Annnnd about to be even more awkward. Play nice kiddies." Alec pointed a stern finger at them mockingly.

"Sir, yes sir." Biggs saluted while flipping him the bird with his other hand. "Asshole." He said affectionately.

And if Max thought it was awkward before, things became downright uncomfortable as soon as Alec left. She did not have skills to navigate this situation. She chugged the rest of the beer remaining in her glass, ready to call it quits and sneak out the back door to avoid Logan when Biggs cleared his throat.

"So, I think the thing I'm supposed to say is sorry?" He looked at Max with a little nervous tick when she choked on her beer. "What? Is that not right?" He pounded on her back when she continued to cough, clearing the beer from her lungs.

Max waved him off after a moment. "No, no, I'm fine. Uh, what are you apologizing for exactly?"

"Well, isn't it what you're supposed to do when you do something you feel bad about?"

Max just stared at him in disbelief.

"Look, earlier I may have gotten a little carried away. Alec said you'd be unhappy so I figured I should maybe apologize." When Max raised her eyebrows he continued. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not sorry I said it. I just think my delivery could've been a bit less…intense."

"Okay…" Seriously, she did not have skills for this.

"Soo…friends?" He stuck his hand out towards her, letting it hang there as Max tried to get her brain to start working normally.

"Why?" She managed to push out as she reached over to shake his hand slowly.

"Cause any friend of Alec's should be a friend of mine."

"Friend?" Max asked puzzled. "You think Alec and I are friends?" Biggs cocked his head at her and a little smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

"Aren't you?"

"Hey Max."

"Logan!" Max startled, pulling her hand free and turned to see her not-like-that boyfriend/friend/sort-of-former boss standing there looking at her curiously. She seriously needed a whole 'nother category to fit them. She rubbed her hand guiltily against her jeans. Logan stared at her hand sadly and Max felt her stomach churn.

"Biggs."

Logan turned to blink at the dark haired transgenic after silence had reigned for a few moments.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Biggs. That's my name." He added helpfully when Logan continued to look at him in confusion. He folded his gray sleeves comfortably on the table. "Introductions. It's the polite thing to do. At least that's what I hear." He smiled blandly into Logan's startled face. Max bit her lip to keep a smile of her own from spreading across her face.

"Oh! Sorry. Yes, um I'm Logan Cale. I was hoping to speak to Max for a couple minutes…alone?" His blue eyes bounced between them trying to get a read on the situation.

Biggs glanced over towards the pool table, ready to slip off when he noticed Alec frowning in their direction. Then he noticed just how tense Max had become since Logan had mentioned being alone.

"Sorry man. Max and I have next game." Max whipped her head to him startled. He willed her to understand. "Gonna show Alec who's the real master of the game, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry Logan." She smiled contritely at him, slipping her black boots to the cracked tile floor.

"Alec?" Logan's gaze skittered away, hurt flashing across his face. "I-I see. Another time then. Goodbye Max. It was nice to meet you Biggs." With a nod he turned and left his exoskeleton whirring softly. Biggs watched Max gaze after him forlornly.

"Hey, where's he goin'?" Alec appeared silently next to Max's elbow.

"Nowhere." Max said softly. She turned away from watching Logan walk away from her. Alec had a worried little frown on his face and she startled as she realized just how close he was.

"You alright Maxie?"

He had freckles on his nose.

"I'm fine. I'm gonna get outta here. Too stuffy."

"But Logan just left!" Alec protested. Max glared at him, smacking him upside the head.

"Shut up." She zipped up her black leather jacket quickly. "Later Biggs." Max flounced away, headed for the staircase.

"How come Biggs gets a nice goodbye and all I get is abuse?" He called after her. She ignored him and he turned back to Biggs shaking his head. "I tell you man, I get no respect." He paused when he saw Biggs staring at him head tilted. "Why are you doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Staring at me with your head all tilted thoughtfully. I don't like it." Biggs smirked. "Seriously, quit it." Alec jabbed a finger at him. "I mean, I know I'm good looking but you aren't exactly my type."

"Oh no? I thought you liked brunettes." His eyes glimmered devilishly. Alec straightened in alarm.

"I don't know what you mean." Alec sniffed disdainfully. Biggs hopped down from the stool and stepped in a little closer.

"You know, I couldn't figure it out at first. Why you were acting all weird. But I think I've got it now."

"No you don't." Alec said stubbornly. "Max has nothing to do with it."

"I never said she did. But, incidentally she really does." Biggs tapped a finger to his chin. "She's the reason you let her kick your ass all over here and gone."

"Hey! Max is tough! And you've never had to fight her when she's playing dirty." Alec's eyes darkened in memory.

"Oh, I don't doubt it that she could kick your ass a time or two. But you never really put any effort into it either because you know you might win. I don't know why you think it's a good idea, but whatever. That's your dealio. Just tell me it's not cause you're trying to appear as helpless as her ordinary."

Alec widened his eyes. "I would never!"

"Good." Biggs rolled his shoulders back. "Then I am just going to assume it's because you have a strange fetish with having her hit you."

"I do not have a Max fetish!"

"Well, there's gotta be some reason for it. Maybe you should look at that."

"No."

"Ha! Okay, sure. So then I guess my last question is why you won't let her get to know the real you."

Alec snapped his mouth shut with a click and spun on his heel and headed back towards the pool table. Unfortunately, Biggs just ambled after him. He glared at him as he stood the side, waiting for the next game to open up. When it became clear that Biggs was going to use his weird Jedi-mind control powers to stare at him until he talked Alec sighed and gave in.

"Max knows the real me."

"No, she really doesn't."

"I've been here almost a year Biggs. Pretty sure she does." Alec examined his fingernails.

"Max only knows what you've let her see. And not exactly your best qualities."

"Hey! I've never lied to her about who I am."

"Yeah, but there's more to you than a ladies man and a con artist. I know it wears on you, her always making you the bad guy. But you don't give her anything else to work with and you could."

Alec sighed. "Max is happy with the way things are. Everyone in their neat little box."

"There are a lot of ways to describe Max, but happy is not one of them. So why are you really—"

"Because eventually the virus is gonna be gone. And she's gonna choose Logan. Max will be happy then. She doesn't need me screwing anything else up for her."

"Yeah, but you're not really giving her a choice are you?" Biggs shook his head in disbelief. "If you never open up to her, let her see all of you then—"

"Then what?" Alec furiously spits. "Look man, I know you are trying to help me or whatever. But I am fine. What I really need is for you to drop it."

Biggs sighs wearily for a moment then throws his hands up. "Sure. We'll let it go for now."

Light comes back to Alec's eyes, highlighting the gold in the green iris. "Wanna play next?" He holds out his fist for a bump. Biggs taps his fist against it.

"Take 'um for everything they got."

...

After hanging up with Logan all Max really wants is some fresh air. She runs her hands through her hair, tugging on the dark strands trying to relieve some of the pressure. It has been a completely shitty couple of days.

Biggs is dead and she's covered in apocalyptic runes. FUBAR isn't a big enough word to describe how messed up their lives are.

It could've been Alec. A flash of panic twists her stomach. Max jumps to her feet and stalks out of Command.

It could've been Alec.

And the guilt floods into her next because as much as she'd come to like Biggs…she's just so happy it's not a pair of green-gold eyes that have faded. Guilt and relief are warring in her heart and Max just can't handle it. She blurs to her bike and takes off, headed for her high place.

It's drizzling and she relishes the stinging feel of it on her face as she races through the dark streets. She pulls her bike into her usual hiding spot but stops short when she sees there's already a green bandit there. Max bites her lip and seriously contemplates leaving.

The drizzle turns into a downpour and Max decides; fuck it.

She climbs the stairs slowly until she reaches the top. Alec is slumped next to an old over turned table on the floor, watching the rain pour through the open window.

"Hey Max." His voice is so flat and un-Alec like that she does a double take.

"Hey." She says worry evident in her voice.

"Thought maybe since this place works for you, it might for me. Don't think it's really helping though." He gives a short painful sounding laugh. "Unless I broke it too."

Max walks closer to him and stops at his miserable face. "Alec…"

"See, I break everything I care about. Guess that makes me Manticore's biggest chump, huh?" He sounds so lost and shattered and she can't take it. His hollow voice is only too familiar.

Max steps over to him quickly and slides down the table to sit next to him. She pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath, closing her eyes before letting it out slow. This was gonna suck.

"I had to leave my sister behind, chained to a pipe when we blew the Manticore genetics lab." Max couldn't help the catch in her breath. "We tried to save her, but I got shot and then Zack…" She trails off; it hurts too much to continue. She's lost so much.

After a moment Alec's shoulder softly bumped into hers and stayed.

"So, you're saying I'm not the only one with shitty luck, huh?"

Max looks over at him and bites her lip. She wants to snap at him for his apparent callous remark, but his eyes are as bleak as her face. She shakes her head. "No. Not the only one."

He leans his head back, hair damp from the rain, exposing the long line of his throat. He stares up at the ceiling for a long moment. She is sharing dark, painful things. She's trying to comfort him. That revelation is enough to stir him from his stupor. Max fidgets uncomfortably for a moment before speaking softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She wanted him to share. Open up about Biggs, Manticore and his past. But it's so ingrained in him to keep the vulnerable parts of himself closed off and safe, especially from someone who could hurt him.

And Max could hurt him.

He turned his head to look at her. So beautiful and cold. But for everything she'd suffered before they ever met, for the consequences that she'd endured because of him, he feels he owes her. Because even when she'd hated him, she saved him.

Max deserves a piece of him in return. Sometimes it's just so hard to give. Alec wonders if he can do it. He closes his eyes for a moment pulling down the wall, just a little bit.

"I did something you aren't going to like."

Max furrows her brows but doesn't say anything.

"After Biggs—"He sucked in a deep breath. "Joshua and I, we went looking for the ordinaries that did it. Who killed him."

"Alec…" She sat up and looked at him worry all over her face.

"Don't worry; we didn't kill them or anything. They'll think twice before taking on a transgenic, but they were alive. I just…couldn't stand that they'd get away with that. Biggs, he—he didn't do anything wrong Maxie. He wouldn't have even been here if it wasn't for me." He sucked in a sharp breath when she pressed her fingers into his arm, in comfort of all things. He doesn't deserve comfort.

"He would be alive if it wasn't for me." He banged his head back into the table's surface behind him.

"Alec. I'm going to tell you something that somebody smart once told me." When he refuses to look at her she reaches out and grasps his chin in her hand, pulling it toward her gently. When he meets her gaze she continues. "You are not responsible for what those people did. That's on them. Not you."

"Doesn't feel like it."

"Yeah, I know." She lets go of his face and leans back next to him. He finds he misses the warmth of her fingers.

"Max, I—" He paused when she slipped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder and nuzzled, just for a moment into the sleeve of his shirt. Then she tilted her head up at him, her eyes serious.

"Do you hate me?"

"What?"

"Do you hate me Alec?"

"Why would you think I hate you?" She shrugged and glanced away. "Max?"

"Why wouldn't you hate me? When my family and I left life got worse at Manticore…"

Alec ran his other hand through his hair tiredly. "Max, I could never hate you."

"That's messed up."

Alec let out a snort. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Look, maybe when I was in Manticore, there were times when I hated you all. But it was more abstract, you know? I didn't know any of you. Thought the 09'ers couldn't hack it." He felt her tense next to him. "Then, I met you. And I realized that wasn't it, not really."

Lighting flashed suddenly, filling the room with bright white light.

"Then what was it?" Max asked worriedly.

"I was jealous."

"Jealous?" Max jerked her head back from his shoulder.

"Yeah. I know. What could I have to be jealous of right? Except I was. And I figured out what it was when White put that bomb in my head." He turned to look at her. "I was jealous of your freedom. And you set me free, Maxie. Twice, really. Once from Manticore and then from White. So you see, I could never hate you."

He smirked at her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth open in a stunned "o". She reminded him of a fish. If a fish wore black leather and hit like Mohammed Ali. He tapped her on the nose. She blinked then swatted his hand away in annoyance.

"You never told me that."

"You never asked."

"Hmph."

Alec let out a little chuckle and decided to press his luck a bit more. He reached up and pulled her hand further down his arm until he could tangle their fingers together. Before she could protest he glanced back at her, blush staining her cheeks.

"So. Anything else you wanna know then?"

Max sits back in surprise but she doesn't pull her fingers away. It feels...nice. And friendly. Which she wasn't sure Alec was capable of. Wonders how desperate they both must be if they are going to get it from each other.

So she leans back into his arm and shrugs. "In all the time he was here, you never told me the story of how you and Biggs met."

Alec's smile is blinding.

"It's a good one."

Max gives him a small smile. "Tell me."

The End.

Post A/N: I missed Biggs so he had to make an appearance. One of these days I have to have him in a story that isn't covered in angst. Also reading and editing this story reminds me of how rusty I am. So, all mistakes and weird tenses are my fault—I live without a beta.